Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Atlas Shrugs: Proving a Narcissist’s Negative

With all the discussion arising from the recently revived controversy over Vlaams Belang, Pamela at Atlas Shrugs has done the sensible thing. Rather than post yet another burst of invective (as did — ahem — yours truly), she located the phone numbers of some prominent Jewish residents of Antwerp and gave them a call.

One of the more interesting facts to emerge from her conversations is that Filip Dewinter loses more votes than he gains due to his support of Flemish Jews.

Filip Dewinter, Bat Ye’or, and David Littman

Huh.

Some Nazi he turns out to be.

Here are some excerpts from Pamela’s report :

I have spent the better part of the afternoon talking with various Jewish members of the clergy, academia and the Jewish community in Antwerp. Respected voices.

First off, no one person speaks for the Jews of Belgium. Period. Two Jews, three opinions.

One thing is clear, Vlaams Belang is the only party that has gone out of its way to support Israel. No political party in Belgium has supported Israel. Vlaams Belang has been the only party staunchly behind Israel for the past 10 years.

“In the last few years, the Liberal Party has taken into its midst some extremist elements who support Hezbollah and Hamas, while Dewinter is very charming and has been interviewed in Jewish newspapers and he meets with rabbis,” he said. “A lot of Jews are not following the establishment and will vote for him.” said Henri Rosenberg, a chasid and law professor at Catholic University in Holland.

Rosenberg cited instances in which members of parliament from the Liberal Party flew to Syria and “shook hands with [Hezbollah leader Hassan] Nasrallah and then traveled to Palestine. And when Mr. Arafat came to Belgium, he received the red carpet treatment in parliament, while a few weeks later [Israeli Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon came and they did not want him in parliament. So as a face-saving gesture, the president of the parliament invited him to his office. And the only party to object [to Sharon’s treatment] was Dewinter’s.’

Rosenberg added that Dewinter is “a friend of the Jews, and he says Israel is the only democracy in the region and should be supported by the European Union.” (more here)

The latest fallacious argument against Vlaams Belang comes from a Judas. A leftist dhimmi Jewish editor (vanity press) in Antwerp…
- - - - - - - - -
…I have spoken to a number of Jewish rabbis and members of the Jewish communities in Antwerp and they all basically said the same thing. Freilich does not speak for the Jewish community in Antwerp. “Freilich in no way represents the Jewish community in Antwerp”. “The Jewish community does not read his magazine (“and the Orthodox for sure not”). “He has no status in the Jewish community” “He is an extreme fanatic leftist guy“. He speaks for himself. “It’s a one man newspaper”.

[…]

Filip Dewinter does not need the Jewish vote. There are 25,000 Jews in Antwerp (many of which cannot vote because they are imported) out of a population of one million in broader Antwerp and Dewinter loses many more votes among the electorate because of his “charming support of the Jews”. “The Jews have no relevance in the vote.” And yet he continues to staunchly defend them and Israel. This is, IMAO, a man of character.

He is always asked on Belgian television why he is against the Muslims and yet supports “Hasidim Jews”.

[…]

Fjordman wrote in one exchange,

The Foreign Ministry in my country publicly sponsored a meeting in Oslo recently with Islamic groups that are even banned in the Middle East, among them the Egyptian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Foreign Minister compared Israeli settlements to the Nazis. Every Tom, Dick, and Jerry from the EU meets with radical Islamic groups on a regular basis, and we’re supposed to believe that a peaceful party working within the democratic system constitutes the greatest threat to freedom? The VB are harassed because they constitute a threat to the power and privileges of the corrupt Eurabians in Brussels. They do, which is exactly why I like them.

Enough already.

Look, it’s all very tedious. More to the direct point, what do the doppelgangers say about the counter jihad movement? What do these small men that deride the movement actually do? And what do they contribute to the transatlantic counter jihad movement? I ask you. What is their contribution to an overall counter jihad movement in general? What?

VB is their canard, a club (which diminishes in size) they use to beat the movement down.

There is a lot to be done. I resent having to spend my limited time and energies proving a narcissist’s negative.

Read the rest at Pamela’s place.

23 comments:

X said...

Just had a peek... the latest thread is about VB being "disinvited" or something, and there are comments in there "questioning" Geert Wilders' stance against mosques and veils.

Six months and he'll be under the bus.

sheik yer'mami said...

The canniballlistic Lizards sound more and more like the Koz kidz.They have convinced themselves that "Nazi's" and "white power supremacists" (that's us!!!) are the real enemy.

Check out the comments. And these folks accuse others of being "haters"- dare to disagree and you get booted off. Everybody is entitled to Charles Johnsons opinion.

That's progress!

Now suck some more Kool aid, folks!

jeppo said...

I know I should probably be lobotomized for believing, or even reading, anything on LGF, but this is terrible news that the VB has been disinvited to the Facing Jihad summit. If true, and that's a big if, then why were they invited in the first place? Please don't tell me that PC munchkins like Charles Johnson and his ilk have ANY influence on true patriots like Wilders and Eldad. If true, who will they disinvite next? The Danish Peoples Party? Swiss Peoples Party? Liga Nord?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this story is merely the umpteenth outright lie about the VB spread by Leftist Gay F#*&wads.

Homophobic Horse said...

"Filip Dewinter loses more votes than he gains due to his support of Flemish Jews."

Poetic injustice.

As it happens here's a little something that's been turned up by someone with too much hands on their time: Charles Johnson is into sadistic queer stuff:

Demons for some, Angels for others.

Anonymous said...

Go Pamela! I seriously love her.

Jeppo, don't get too worried--remember, LGF to this day maintains that the BNP was involved in Cities Against Islamisation, despite the fact that they definitely were not. So, what I'm saying is that LGF doesn't have the best track record when it comes to facts about Vlaams Belang. Or facts in general, to be honest.

jeppo said...

True enough Natalie. I'm sure the Baron will get to the bottom of this disinvitation nonsense and let us know the truth.

homophobic horse,
Maybe this has been Charles' plan all along--weed out the anti-jihadists and turn LGF into a hardcore gay porn website. The Lizard Lounge will become a pay-per-view S & M dungeon. I think Killgore Trout et al will be cool with that.

:)

Fjordman said...

I really refuse to spend more time on that website. Just let it sink.

Henrik Ræder said...

Traffic to LGF has, according to Alexa, been falling during the election season. As has, interestingly, page view per reader.

When Obama-bashing falls out of fashion, I expect LGF to sink. That Stalinist bigot by the name of Charles Johnson deserves it.

Henrik R Clausen said...

CJ is spending credibility on this, by going on one single email, no official announcement.

Looks like he's desperate for a scoop.

Sagunto said...

Some time ago, I found this poem on the website of Mr. Filip Dewinter. It is in Dutch and it is adressed at all those self-declared "anti-racist" witchhunters. I give the original first, then my own translation in English (slightly different form, but hey, it's poetry ;-)


Gij noemt mij racist, mijnheer?

Gij noemt mij een racist, mijnheer
omdat ik eigen volk en eigen taal waardeer,
bij eigen aard en eigen waarden zweer,
mijn kind'ren eerst hun rechten leer.
Daarom noemt gij mij een racist, mijnheer.

Noemt gij mij een racist, mijnheer,
omdat ik vreemden zoals gasten eer,
geen dwang of geen bemoeizucht tolereer,
in eigen land de wetten zelf dicteer?
Noemt gij mij daarom een racist, mijnheer?

Stel, dat ik later in uw land passeer.
Zult gij niet eisen, dat ik zonder meer,
uw eigenheid en uw gewoonten accepteer?
Dat ik uw wetten en uw regels respecteer?
Zijt gij dan ook racist, mijnheer?

Gij stuurt mij stellig naar mijn thuisland weer
indien gij vindt dat ik te lang en al te zeer
van uw geduld en gastvrijheid profiteer.
Onthoud, dat gij noch recht noch reden hebt,
wanneer gij 't lef hebt, mij te schelden voor racist, mijnheer!


*** *** ***
In English
*** *** ***

You sir, who calls me a racist..

You sir, who's rappin' that 'racism!' preach
when I cherish my culture and language
or treasure our nature and values, and teach
my children their right to our freedom as well
Is that why you cling to that racism-bell?

You sir, who forces your muck racist smear
While strangers as guests I do honour
on lands and on laws that I just hold so dear
but won't bow to force or oppression in fear
Why then, sir, this racist obsession I hear?

Suppose that someday to your country I fled
Would you not demand without thinking
that I should respect your own habits and ways
and play by the same rules of law y'all embrace
Would racism-bells toll for you then instead?

You'd send me right back on a single return
if you would find out I had wasted
too much of your kindness, you'd jingle,
and yearn, to rid me, appalled with a raised fist
That's you Sir, who called me a racist!


___________* * *____________

Kind regs from Amsterdam,
Sag.

Dymphna said...

Sagunto--

Well done. Many thanks. I hope Mike at Downeast sees this..

_______

Henrik--

The man is simply desperate; that condition doesn't even have an object anymore.

For those poor superstitious theists who would like to drive Chazzer to...well, wherever he's going, I suggest you pray real hard for him. All of Christ's adages apply here. Only Jesus didn't mention it might make the man's head explode.

I'm serious...just love ol Charles to death.

KGS said...

Henrik: "Looks like he's desperate for a scoop"

Yeah, so desperate in fact, he committed the blogger's cardinal sin, of publishing the Tundra Tabloids' Diantha Harris Story, without giving proper accreditation.

He's definately losing his grip and because he knew it was my story and video, it makes him a thief.

Hesperado said...

When will Robert Spencer take the step from indefinite agnosticism about whether Vlaams Belang is "racist" and "fascist", to actually joining others whom he respects in boldly taking a stand that VB is in fact not racist and fascist?

"I was attempting to keep up good relations with both sides [those who think VB is "racist" and "fascist" and those who don't] while trying to gather more information."

"...he [CJ] is acting as if simply doubting that people he has labeled neofascist or racist are in fact neofascist or racist makes one in his view neofascist and racist."

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/023306.php#c592588

So when will Spencer take the step from continuing to "try to gather information" about VB and continuing to "doubt" that VB is, as CJ alleges, "neofascist or racist", to actually taking a stand one way or the other?

In a case like this, the persistence of affecting a non-position of agnostic doubt, especially coming from such a major figure of the anti-jihad movement as Spencer, is injurious to the reputation of VB and others who support them.

Other people don't seem to have any trouble taking that step, from doubt to sufficient certitude (Diana West, Gates of Vienna, Fjordman, Bat Ye'or, etc.). So why can't Spencer? What's holding him up? And why don't Spencer supporters who are simultaneously VB supporters care?

A reader at JW ("USorThem") posted this nicely articulated comment on this:

I asked the question of Robert directly above, and it remains unanswered. I find that silence "interesting" to say the least.

So I will throw the question out again for any reader of this thread.

Can anyone point to specific evidence indicating an announced, or official, statement from party leaders of the VB that proves they support white supremacism, racism or fascism?

The only evidence offered so far that I have ever seen originated from LGF. That in itself makes the evidence questionable. And most of that evidence was of the guilt by association theme...

...

Europe is heading down the road towards Islamization with little resistance. It disturbs me greatly that a group like the BNP has to insist on a "whites only" membership threshold. For that I cannot support the BNP as a party and fully support Robert's stance on them.

I think Americans can have some influence on whether that Islamization occurs... Robert posted a story on DW a few days ago regarding a change in policy regarding Gert Wilders being deminized as a Nazi by the Dutch Education Department, where the article claimed that protests by American websites were cited as a reason for a change in policy. That shows me our opinions can have impact in some instances.

If we are going to condemn Vlams Belang I think it important to know exactly what it is we are condemning. It would be nice to see a reasoned debate about whether VB merits our support and should be avoided. Where's the beef?

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/023403.php#c595371

Instead of debating this issue, Spencer simply continues to maintain his fastidiously above-the-fray agnosticism. Persisting in affecting a non-position itself becomes a position for which one must take responsibility, and which has real consequences in the real world.

Spencer replied thusly to "USorThem"'s question:

My answer was this: "I am still looking into the matter, and find it appalling to be demonized and vilified by Charles for this." There are some things I want to find out on my own.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/023403.php#c595394

So how long will Spencer "still be looking into the matter"? Why have others "looked into the matter" and actually have come to a conclusion -- the conclusion that VB does not deserve the smear of being fascist or racist?

While CJ's active demonization of VB is far worse, Spencer's passive impugnment of them through his indefinite suspension of coming to a decision about them, when so many others (as for example Henrik in this comment) have no trouble in doing so, has the great potential to hurt VB's reputation. Spencer is actually playing into the hands of people who bruit the magic words "racist" or "fascist" in order to bring the cloud of undeserved suspicion on otherwise good people and organizations doing useful work against Islamicization.

Perhaps Spencer is under the mistaken impression that one needs absolute certitude before taking a stand. Of course, I'm being rhetorically facetious & sarcastic. Surely he knows that absolute certitude is not, in fact, required before coming to a decision such as this. So what exactly is holding Spencer up?

Armance said...

So, Vlaams Belang will attend the conference or not?

Afonso Henriques said...

Nice work from Pamela.

"Dewinter loses many more votes among the electorate because of his “charming support of the Jews”. “The Jews have no relevance in the vote.”"

I just think it is sad some prople think that "we" need the aproval of the Jews or some sort of "purity paper" stating that "we" shall defend Israel.

There are reasons to defend Israel and reasons to fight Israel. Two interests colide. Then, your position logically depends on what you want to do with the world. You see, Dewinter does not loses votes because he supports Israel. Because he DOES NOT support Israel, he supports Flanders.

Given what he wants to do with the world, however, giving this current situation, anyone serious enough and standing for what De Winter stands (Flanders, Europe) WOULD LOGICALLY SUPPORT Israel. Not because Israel is this or that, BUT BECAUSE TO SUPPORT ISRAEL SIMPLY DERIVES FROM A WORLD VIEW THAT IF TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND COHERENTLY will end up in a support for Israel.
Therefore, for each vote he loses with Israel/Jewish support, it's two votes that he does not lose due to lack of intelligence/coherence/bravery.

Giving what I said, I understand some "Nationalists" or "Civilisationists" want to fight Israel. I simply don't understand what those same people want to do with the world because apearently they lack basic coherence.

Afonso Henriques said...

Erich, you know how I am grossly ignorant of the American anti Islamisation theme but, don't you think Vlaams Belang depends on the votes of the people of Flanders and that "external players" have little effect on the party's success?

Hesperado said...

afonso, yes on a strictly political level, VB is an internal affair of the people of that region. But the larger anti-Islam movement is international and we should continue to nourish and expand our mutual solidarity:

"Anti-Jihadists Without Borders"

X said...

Erich, it feels like you're asking Spencer to make an exception for VB that he doesn't make for any other political party. He doesn't endorse parties. He's made that clear already.

Sagunto said...

I agree with @archonix,

and would like to add that i.m.o. the best thing for every single person to do is to focus on the struggle against Islam (which is broader than just some anti-jihad movement) and play their own part.
Perpetuating these games, started by a few green reptiles, of either denouncing or endorsing this or that org./person, is counterproductive and doesn't constitute anything in the way of support or "solidarity", it's just a waste of time and focus. And terribly boring too, I might add.

Instead of all this "we"-talk about solidarity, why not ask what "you" can do to actually contribute, and leave the communal chattering about which persons can or cannot join some pristine virtual counter-jihad collective to the thinning lizzies at Isengard ;-)

Moreover, VB can do without both outside praise or scorn. From their local perspective, these "guilt-praise by association" coteries must appear utterly irrelevant.

Kind regs from Amsterdam,
Sag.

Hesperado said...

graham dawson,

I'm not asking Spencer to "endorse" VB. Does Diana West "endorse" VB? No: she merely says, here is a good worthy partner in our fight against Islam. Why can't Spencer join her, and GOV, and Fjordman, and others in simply taking a stand of support like this for a group of brave and beleaguered fellow anti-jihadists?

Hesperado said...

PS to Graham:

And if you respond that "stand of support" amounts to "endorsement", then I would say that what I am asking Spencer to do -- at the very least, if he cannot bring himself to do what so many of his intelligent colleagues don't seem to find all that difficult (i.e., standing up to support VB) -- is to stop referring to VB in terms of this constant cloud of doubt as to whether, or not, they are racist and fascist. This constant way of framing it has the effect of tainting their reputation. It's like saying about a person, "Gee, I don't know whether Joe is a pedophile or not, I'm looking into the matter, but I can't say for sure if he is or isn't a pedophile, that's all I'm saying". To act as though this kind of ambivalence doesn't have real hurtful consequences for the reputation of the Joe in question is ridiculous, and only compounds the problem. So I'm not asking Spencer to "endorse" VB, any more than I would be asking, in my hypothetical analogy about "Joe", for Spencer to "endorse" Joe's candidacy for mayor. All I'm asking Spencer is to stop making it sound like Joe "could be" a pedophile, when not only does Spencer not have any facts to verify that, he also has many colleagues who stand up for Joe's reputation.

Baron Bodissey said...

Erich --

Point taken.

But, as I have often said, I’m primarily a propagandist, so what I engage in here is advocacy, and GoV is an advocacy site.

In contrast, Robert is primarily a scholar and a news aggregator. Advocacy isn’t part of his mission statement. The only reason for his declarations of “agnosticism” about Vlaams Belang is that people are pushing him to take a stand on one side or the other, which he doesn’t want to do.

However, I agree with you that his insistence on neutrality — “I don’t know whether or not Joe is still beating his wife” — has had the unintended consequence of harming the cause of Vlaams Belang in the American blogosphere.

Hesperado said...

Thanks Baron. Finally, that's all I wanted to hear! Now I know I'm not Alice in Wonderland!